Out of the past: May 1

1996

Likening himself to a referee in an intense basketball game, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas defined the role of the court in society; about 1,400 gathered in the Show Me Center last night to hear Thomas, appointed in 1991 by President George Bush; originally slated to speak about the changing legal system, Thomas changed his topic after meeting with students in the afternoon; he said the questions students asked distressed him, because they implied that judges base their decisions on their own ethics and personal experiences, not on the law.

The Board of Regents yesterday unanimously chose Ohio education consultant Dr. Dale Nitzschke as Southeast Missouri State University's new president; the regents spent about six and one-half hours deliberating over whether to hire Nitzschke, a former president of the University of New Hampshire, or Dr. G. Warren Smith, chemistry professor and former president at Southeastern Louisiana University at Hammond.

1971

After months of sketching, State College art instructor Jake Wells has started to draw details of a portion of a massive mural on a wall in Kent Library; the mural, consisting of 10 sections depicting early area life, is expected to be completed in late 1972, prior to the college's centennial observance the following year.

The goal of the Lutheran Home for the Aged to sell $200,000 of investment certificates by today has been surpassed; Leonard Vogel and Walter Eggers, chairmen of the drives in Cape Girardeau and Perry counties respectively, announce that $221,800 of the certificates have been purchased; a total of $450,000 of certificates have been authorized to be sold; proceeds will be used to finance the construction and equipping of a 60-bed nursing home on Bloomfield Road.

1946

Cape Girardeau and other towns in this section of Southeast Missouri were thrown into darkness at 7:20 last night during a rainstorm, when an exploding circuit breaker at Missouri Utilities Co.'s main electric plant here caused a complete breakdown of the power facilities; in addition to Cape Girardeau, the towns left without power were Illmo, Fornfelt, Chaffee, Oran, Morley, Charleston and part of Sikeston, the effect also reaching into Morehouse, Fisk and Dudley; fire, following the explosion, burned out two other circuit breakers, causing suspension of service.

The fare is thin in many homes for breakfast, and the usual hot water for washing and shaving purposes isn't available following the power failure which necessitated the turning off of Cape Girardeau's supply of gas; gas is manufactured under pressure and, when the power failed, the power naturally declined and forced the gas to be shut off over the entire distribution system.

1921

Patrolman Ed Davenport has turned over his star and club to Robert Wilson, who begins walking the Broadway beat this evening; Wilson will remain on the job until a permanent replacement is found.

Rotarians have their annual day at church, when about half the 62 members attend service at Presbyterian Church in a body to hear the Rev. Charley Morton preach; Morton shows the Rotarians that Jesus Christ was the first Rotarian and that the Sermon on the Mount was the first Rotary address ever made.

-- Sharon K. Sanders